CUHK doctor's answer: coffee is not only refreshing, but also can fight cancer and prevent Alzheimer's disease.

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Nutrition experts interpret N questions about drinking coffee, such as poor gastrointestinal function, poor heart, high blood pressure and so on.

Every morning, driving away lingering drowsiness with a cup of coffee has become a "wake-up ceremony" for young people in many Chinese cities. As one of the symbols of modern food culture, coffee has a large number of fans all over the world, and coffee consumption in China has increased rapidly in recent years. The intoxication of coffee is not only its mellow and full-bodied taste, refreshing and health functions, but also the coffee culture that has spread for thousands of years.

However, in the eyes of nutrition experts, many people seem to love coffee too hard and "in the wrong place". There are often regrets about the spread of all kinds of fallacies in the understanding of the efficacy of coffee. Ye Yanbin, deputy director of the Department of Nutrition at the first affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, pointed out that traditional views such as "diabetics should not drink coffee,"coffee is harmful to cardio-cerebral vessels," and "drink coffee with more sugar." it has been "hit in the face" by the results of modern medical research.

Coffee can lower blood sugar and prevent Alzheimer's disease.

Drinking coffee used to be a must for people who stayed up late to prepare for the exam. You think it's just refreshing? "refreshing and refreshing, it's the caffeine in coffee that plays a role. New research shows that there are other beneficial substances in coffee. " Ye Yanbin pointed out that caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, heart and respiratory system. An appropriate amount of coffee can reduce muscle fatigue, benefit diuresis, and help the body expel excess sodium ions from the body, but consuming too much will lead to caffeine poisoning.

In recent years, researchers have found that coffee polyphenols in coffee, like tea polyphenols in tea, have anti-aging effects and can be used to prevent diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.

Chlorogenic acid in coffee has been shown to promote glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, reduce insulin resistance, and increase muscle utilization of blood sugar, thereby reducing the risk of diabetes. Chlorogenic acid can not only effectively prevent weight gain, but also help to maintain normal blood sugar levels and liver health. Therefore, drinking coffee can help reduce the risk of developing Ⅱ diabetes.

The latest research:

Coffee can prevent liver cancer

In May 2017, Dr Oliver Kennedy's team from the University of Southampton in the UK published an article in the internationally renowned magazine BMJ Open that drinking only one cup of coffee a day could reduce the risk of liver cancer by 20%.

The team conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of more than 26 observational studies, including information from more than 2.25 million adults. Correlation analysis showed that drinking one cup of caffeinated coffee a day reduced the risk of liver cancer by 20%; drinking two cups of caffeinated coffee a day reduced the risk of liver cancer by 35%; and drinking five cups of caffeinated coffee a day reduced the risk of liver cancer by 50%. More importantly, the above protective effects of coffee can be found for both coffee drinkers and those who do not drink coffee regularly.

In addition, foreign studies have pointed out that patients with hypertension drinking the right amount of coffee can help improve arterial aging.

"Wine and coffee"?

It's futile to find the wrong partner.

What would you like with coffee? The answers are varied.

Teresa Teng has a popular song "Wine and Coffee". She sang: "Wine and coffee, cup after cup, I'm not drunk, I'm just heartbroken." The song is intoxicating, but if you drink "fortified coffee" as in the lyrics, under the dual stimulation of alcohol and caffeine, not only the central nervous system, heart and respiratory system can't stand it, but also like "cow chewing peony". It masks the flavor of the coffee itself and spoils the scenery.

Some people will choose "coffee companion". "Coffee companion is commonly known as' cream', which is vegetable oil powder." Ye Yanbin pointed out that the main ingredients of plant fat powder are "glucose syrup", "hydrogenated vegetable oil", sodium caseinate and three types of food additives: stabilizers, emulsifiers and anti-caking agents. Coffee added "cream", there will be "milk flavor", can improve the taste. However, from a health point of view, the loss outweighs the gain. The natural unsaturated fatty acids contained in plant fat powder will become saturated fatty acids under certain conditions, while some will produce "trans fatty acids", which is harmful to health. The best companion of coffee is pure milk, and "cream" is only a substitute on the journey, is an expedient measure, not suitable for long-term consumption.

"stuffed" coffee

It's fun to drink, but it's not necessarily healthy.

For senior coffee fans, the rich and unique aroma and slightly bitter taste of coffee are unstoppable. Some people know the benefits of coffee, but can not accept the bitter taste of coffee. The compromise is to put more sugar and milk in the coffee to dilute the bitter taste.

Some young people pursue fashion and choose varieties such as caramel macchiato, green tea coffee, cappuccino and so on. "Coffee with ingredients is interesting to drink, but it dilutes the 'essence' of coffee and may not be good for health." Ye Yanbin points out that from a nutritional point of view, these fortified coffee are either too much milk or too much sugar. If you drink a few more cups of coffee every day, then the intake of sugar and fat may exceed the standard. For example, cappuccino, which is famous for its rich and delicate milk bubbles, may affect the absorption and utilization of chlorogenic acid in coffee because of too much casein. For young people, the favorite caramel macchiato is made by adding espresso, vanilla and pure caramel to hot milk. It not only has a large amount of milk, but also has the risk of exceeding the standard of sugar. There are also people who like to drink "Zhai coffee", that is, pure coffee without sugar and milk, also known as "black coffee". They think that Zhai coffee has the essence of coffee. However, for people with weak gastrointestinal function, the stimulation of Zaika is too strong.

Ye Yanbin believes that the most ideal way to drink coffee is espresso with a little milk and sugar-free drinking. If you feel a little bitter, choose less sugar or semi-sugar.

Bipolar disorder, gastrointestinal dysfunction

Not suitable for coffee

Coffee is not a sacred product, and there are people who are not fit to drink it.

Patients with mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, mania and schizophrenia should not drink coffee, otherwise it may lead to fluctuations in the disease. For people with gastrointestinal dysfunction, especially those with gastroesophageal reflux, drinking coffee regularly may cause acid nausea during sleep at night. Caffeine can speed up blood circulation. People with a bad heart may feel a rapid heartbeat after drinking coffee, so it is recommended to drink less. If you have high blood pressure and don't want to say goodbye to coffee, one cup a day is enough. The elderly with osteoporosis should not drink a lot of coffee, so as not to aggravate the loss of calcium. But if the elderly have the right amount of outdoor exercise every day, diet can get enough calcium, then a cup of coffee a day does not hinder.

Dietary guidelines at home and abroad point out that drinking five cups of coffee a day has nothing to do with the adverse reactions of most adults. As for "drinking five cups of coffee a day," Ye Yanbin believes that it depends on people's tolerance to caffeine. ordinary people drinking two cups of coffee a day is enough to refresh themselves. if there is more, it may affect sleep and the loss outweighs the gain.

Medical guidance / Deputy Chief physician Ye Yanbin, Department of Nutrition, first affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University